Museo ABC by Aranguren & Gallegos

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—Should a cultural building be subservient to its content, or should the building reflect it? One look at the Museo ABC should tell you what it thinks the answer should be.

Located in Madrid, Spain and designed by Aranguren & Gallegos Arquitectos, the Museum ABC is a space dedicated to contemporary illustration and drawing. The building’s dual entrance faces are accessed from different streets and connect in the inner courtyard.

One face is jagged, playing with the movement of triangles to challenge a person’s depth perception. The other building entrance is more subdued, but has just the right amount of “it” to indicate that it’s on another level compared to its adjacent neighbours.

Designed in such a way so that the building’s scale blends in respectfully, while simultaneously standing out aesthetically, it contains two large exhibition halls, a restoration laboratory, a technically advanced warehouse, flex-spaces, a café and shop. Essentially, it’s a creative community centre - the type that every city could use.

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